Born and raised in Bothell, Joy recently moved to the Snohomish area with her family. She has been married 23 years and is the mother of three children: Janelle 22, Rex Jr. 18, and Jordan who is 9. For the past 19 years Joy has enjoyed working with children in various areas including operating her own in home daycare. As a public school volunteer, Joy served as room mother, classroom helper, art docent and a member of the PTA. Joy is actively involved in children’s ministry programs at Gold Creek Community Church. She is co leader of her daughter’s Girl Scout troop and enjoys tole-painting, crafts, stamping, scrap-booking, reading and walking. Joy will work in our preschool program as a teaching assistant.

Joan is an EA with Snohomish School District and has worked in the classroom with special needs children as well as the health center, library and on the playground. She is married to Bill and is the mother of two teenagers, Kasey and Zack. Joan is currently active in Equi-Friends Therapeutic Riding and Gold Creek Community Church. Past volunteer activities include coaching girls volleyball, Boy Scouts, Totem Falls PTO, Campfire Boys & Girls and school volunteer. She attended Washington State University where she studied forestry and wildlife management. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, gardening and skiing. Joan will assist with the Tuesday/Thursday morning program.

Sara joins our team as teaching assistant and office assistant in our morning program. You can find Sara helping with our valet parking and in the classroom. Sara is married to Adam and has a daughter Makena born August of 2007. All three attend Gold Creek Community Church. Her previous experience includes work at the North Seattle Family Center for two years with the Teen Mothers Group, the after-school and summer tutoring programs as well as performing administrative functions. Sara also worked for the Department of Social and Health Services in the child welfare unit where she worked with abused and neglected children. Sara moved to the private workforce but found her heart really belonged to children and is anxious to continue her career working with children. Sara attended Seattle Pacific University where she studied sociology.

Laurie is married and has 2 high school children, Breanne 17 and Craig 14. She operated her own day care/ preschool for 12 years and has been very active throughout the community with her childrens’ school, sports and church activities. Laurie is a Washington native and attended Shoreline Community College. Her most recent position was working with special needs children ages 1 – 3. In her spare time, Laurie enjoys gardening and all types of crafts, she will be teaching 4 & 5 year olds in our Monday/Wednesday/Friday program.

Virginia is a transplanted New Yorker living in Mill Creek since the fall of 2004. She is happily married to Bob for 19 years now and has two middle school daughters.

Virginia earned her B.A. in Elementary Education from Queens College and an MA in Special Education from New York University. She is permanently certified to teach Pre-K – 12th . She also holds New York City Teaching Licenses in Health Conservation and Emotional Handicapped. She will also receive a lifetime teaching license in the State of Washington.

Virginia began her teaching career working for the public schools in New York for 13 years prior to starting a family. She was a stay at home mom for many years until she entered the workforce teaching preschool. She taught preschool for four years at Tom Thumb and loved it. Virginia and her family moved west where she has been active in her children’s classrooms, Mill Creek and Heatherwood PTA’s and assisting local MOPS groups with childcare. She is an active member of the Advent Lutheran Church and chairs the fellowship committee, volunteers with Vacation Bible School and confirmation classes. She is active in Girl Scouts leading troops in both New York and Mill Creek. Virginia enjoys hiking, camping, skiing and walking her 100 lb German Shepard, Dutchess. Virginia will be teaching our MWF pre-k sessions.

Suzeann joins the Kids at the Creek Preschool as teaching assistant. She was raised in Washington and lives in the Mill Creek area where she has been a professional nanny for the past 8 years. Suzeann is currently attending Edmonds Community College where she is pursuing her Early Childhood Education Degree. Suzeann is also active in the children’s program at Gold Creek Community Church. Suzeann has 5 nieces and nephews that she thoroughly enjoys spending time with. In her spare time Suzeann enjoys scrapbooking, hiking, swimming, and spending time with friends & family.

Colleen Ferrari is a native of Washington State and has lived with her husband Tom and family in Mill Creek for 15 years. They have two teenage children, Colton and Sierra. Colleen has taught preschool as a lead teacher for 4 years and is completing her AA in early childhood education. She hopes to obtain her Bachelors’ Degree in the coming years. She spends her spare time watching her children’s sporting events, reading and playing with her three dogs. Colleen is an active volunteer and also taught third grade Sunday School at her local church. Colleen “Mrs. Ferrari” will be teaching our Mon-Friday Pre-Kindergarten morning session.

Nancy is a Canadian citizen , born and raised in Quebec. She has lived here in the Upper Northwest for the past three years. She received her Bachelor of Science in Christian School Education from Bethany Bible College and a Bachelor of Liberal Studies from the University of Maine. She is married to her husband, Brian, of eight years and has two children, Grace (6) and Griffin (3). She is an acitve member of Gold Creek Community Church helping in the Children's ministry, and the MOPS program. She enjoys, exercising, reading, scrap booking, playing Bunco and spending time with her family. She is excited to be a member of the Kids At The Creek staff teaching the MWF pre-k sessions.

April Heivilin earned her degree in Early Childhood Education from Shoreline Community College and spent two additional years at SPU majoring in Elementary Education and Psychology. She has over 18 years experience in a variety of school districts, preschools and church settings. April and her husband have two elementary aged children at Forest View who love to spend time spoiling the family pets. The Heivilin family is very active in their local church. April also volunteers helping orphans in West Africa with True Vine Togo. This summer April and her daughter had great fun visiting the child they sponsor. They spent time playing and caring for orphans and village children and are now looking forward to another visit to West Africa. April is the lead teacher in our Pre-K program.

Michelle joins the Kids at the Creek team in the Pre-K program. After graduating from the University of Puget Sound, she decided to pursue a career in teaching and earned her Elementary Education teaching credentials from the University of Washington. Michelle taught fourth and fifth grade in the Bellevue School District for seven years before becoming a full-time mom. She and her husband Scott have two children, McKenna and Ethan, who attend Little Cedars. Michelle enjoys spending time with her family, playing soccer, volunteering in her children's classrooms, serving in the children's programs at Gold Creek, attending Bible studies, reading, and working with children!

Sandra is a native of Washington and grew up in the Bellingham area. She and her husband Jerry have been married 13 years and have a 9 year old son, Trevor. Prior to joining Kids At The Creek, Sandra taught preschool for three years at a private Christian preschool and assisted for one year. She is working toward her early childhood certificate through ACSI. She has also been actively involved in her church Sunday school and Vacation Bible School. Sandra enjoys reading, shopping, walking and visiting with friends. Sandra will be teaching in our Tuesday/Thursday preschool program.

Bev and her husband Paul moved to Washington last year from Southern California following a job transfer with Boeing. Bev comes highly recommended from her previous employer where she spent the last 22 years as a full-time preschool teacher with Small World Preschool in Saugus, California. She has her AS in Child Development from College of the Canyons in addition to numerous continuing education classes in all phases of preschool education. Bev discovered Kids at the Creek while evaluating local preschools for her granddaughter who lives in the area. Bev admits she wasn’t ready to retire quite yet and she really missed her role working with young children. We are fortunate to have Bev join our Tuesday/Thursday team teaching our 3 & 4 year olds.

Kris McCormick joined the Kids At The Creek Team as morning teaching assistant in January 2007. Kris was born and raised in Renton where she met her husband of 19 years at church where they were both active in leadership. Kris and her family moved to Everett in July to be closer to her husbands’ job. A busy mom of four children, ages 14, 12, 10 & 8 (three boys and a girl), Kris has always been an active leader in children’s programs. Her previous experience includes AWANA leader and Director for preschool through early elementary, Sunday School teacher, and vacation Bible school teacher. When she is not attending her children’s various sporting events (basketball, soccer and dance), you can find her gardening, reading, stamping, having tea with friends, or "camping" at the family cabin on Lake Wenatchee.

Gloria joins the Kids at the Creek team as teaching assistant. Gloria is a Washington native and loves the beauty of the Northwest. She lives in Lynnwood with her husband of 23 years and three sons, ages 18, 16 and 9. Gloria’s experience includes three years with a local preschool and several years of volunteer work in her children’s classes. She volunteers in her church nursery, Vacation Bible School and Sunday school classes. Gloria’s hobbies include cooking, gardening, walking and watching her boys play sports. Most of all, she loves to spend time with her family and friends.

Joni will serve as teaching assistant at Kids At the Creek Preschool after a long history of service to children. Joni served as Preschool Director at Gold Creek Community Church, Educational Assistant at Totem Falls Elementary School and as a private child care provider. She is married to John and is the mother of three teenage daughters (two high school/one junior high). Joni graduated from Shawnee State Community College in Portsmouth, OH and in her spare time she enjoys spending time with her teenage daughters, reading, walking and yard work!

Renee joins the KATC team as lead teacher for our early 3’s program. She is a native of Washington and lives in Everett with her husband of 12 years and their 10 year old daughter. Renee earned her Early Childhood Education degree at Washington State University. For the past 6 years Renee has been volunteering at a parent cooperative school in Everett where her daughter attends. Renee is an active member of her church and is enjoys needle arts, reading and spending time with her family and friends.

Amy Nehme joins the KATC team as lead teacher for our preschool program. Amy obtained her bachelors degree in communication with a minor in child psychology from Northern Illinois University. She has spent the last three years as lead teacher and assisting at a preschool in Kirkland. Amy is STARS certified (State of Washington) and is working toward ACSI (Association of Christian Schools )early education certification. She is married to Michel and is the mother of three elementary age daughters. She has been an active volunteer in the children’s ministry programs at her home church.

Laura Pawley grew up in Edmonds and has lived in Silver Firs since 1994. She is a graduate of Western Washington University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education. She taught elementary school for 7 years before becoming a full-time mom, then joined Kids at the Creek in 2006 and discovered her passion in teaching preschoolers. Laura and her husband, Harley, and their children, Emily and Jonah, attend Gold Creek Community Church and actively serve in many areas including Children’s Ministry, small groups, and community events. As a family they enjoy camping, tropical vacations, and bike riding. Laura spends her time outside the classroom volunteering at her children’s schools, scrapbooking, gardening, and scuba diving with her husband (on those tropical vacations).

Jeannie was born and raised in the Seattle area. She graduated with a BA in Communications from Washington State University. She has been married to Jeff for 18 years and has three wonderful children - a girl and two boys - 14, 11 and 7 years old. Jeannie loves kids and has volunteered in many activities including Girl Scouts, coaching basketball, room parent, team mom, Sunday school teacher, pre-school assistant and parent helper in each of her children's classes and various PTA positions. She served three years as Nursery Director for Gold Creek Community Church where she continues to be on staff in an accounting support role. Jeannie enjoys family and friend time, watching her kids sporting events, reading and water sports.

Tracee joined Kids at the Creek as a teaching assistant in January 2007. She has been married to her husband Tim for 11 years and has 2 daughters ages 9 and 10. She has four years experience working and volunteering at a private Christian school. Tracee is actively involved in children’s ministry at Gold Creek Community Church. Her hobbies include traveling, scrap booking and spending time with her family and pets. Tracee will work in our pre-kindergarten program as a teaching assistant.

Jen joins the Kids at the Creek team as assistant. She is originally from Lake Forest Park and for the past 9 years has lived in the Seattle Hill area. Jen lives with her husband Brian of 16 years and her two energetic children, Allie and Luke. She has served public school as an art docent teacher, room mother and a reading tutor. Jen is also currently active in children’s ministry at Gold Creek Community Church and owns and operates a cleaning business. Jen enjoys playing with her children, reading, painting, landscaping and movie nights.

Tanya joins Kids at the Creek as Assistant Director and Preschool Teacher. A native of Puget Sound, Tanya is the mother of four children ages 21, 18, 15 and 13. For the past 25 years Tanya has been serving children in a variety of community and church settings. Her experience includes children’s outreach ministry, choir and drama director, children’s worship leader, Sunday school teacher and public school volunteer. She also home schooled her children ten years and taught in a variety of group settings. She was co-owner of a building and development company for 15 years and recently worked as referring agent for a financial company. Tanya is currently completing her AAS and Early Childhood Education degree at Everett Community College. She loves singing, writing and playing her guitar. She will be teaching in our Tuesday/Thursday preschool program.

Joy McBride was an elementary school teacher and elementary science specialist for six years prior to becoming the Children’s Ministry Pastor at Gold Creek Community Church. As part of a research project at the University of Washington, Joy was selected to teach advance math to highly capable pre-k and kindergarten age children. She was a member of the site planning team at Totem Falls and has been an active parent volunteer for her own two children. Joy earned her elementary education teaching credential from the University of Washington. Joy will be responsible for curriculum development and teacher training.

Cheryl Scheffer has 30 years experience teaching kindergarten and first grade in the Snohomish School District. Cheryl joined the Gold Creek Church ministry team and will provide vital resources to our preschool leadership team. Cheryl graduated from Seattle Pacific University with a degree in elementary education and also attended SPU to receive a Master’s in Reading. Cheryl has a passion for families and children in our community and will substitute teach as well as provide strong leadership/mentoring to the preschool team.

Liz Wynn, mother of two grown daughters, graduated from Fresno Pacific University with a degree in Management and Human Resources. She moved to Washington recently from California where she was involved in a variety of children’s programs in her community and church (YMCA, Boys/Girls Club, Nursery and Children’s Sunday School Teacher). Liz has over 25 years of management/human resource experience and will serve as director for Kids at the Creek. Liz will use her experience to recruit and coach top quality teachers for our dynamic preschool.